Matriarchal Clans

From: gej865_at_spp2.bham.ac.uk
Date: Thu, 4 Mar 1999 15:59:20 GMT


Dear all,

I'm starting a new campaign, moving from traditional stamping grounds in Prax to Sartar. PCs are all from the Blackrock Clan of the Kheldon Tribe, circa 1570 (I'm making up the clan names as I can't seem to find consensus anywhere...). IMG the Kheldon at this point are ruled by a bully boy Uroxi from the only clan in the tribe that actually have a shrine to a specialised war god - Urox. This guy and his cronies have their good points , but mainly they just ... well, act like Uroxi. Offensive, you know. Socially. The thing is, that with all this unrest on the northern border, and these Elmali, Yelmalion, whatever-they-want-to-call-themselves, people causing trouble, a war god is a useful thing ......

So the PCs reckon that the best thing to do is get their clan a specialised war god - Orlanth Adventurous would be good, their mums aren't too keen on Humakt - and then replace the Uroxi clan as the war leaders of the tribe.... thereby bringing greater honour and social class to the tribe (and themselves, obviously). All this is good, and everyone is having fun.

Now: I figure that one way for them to get extra prestige within the tribe is to enter into one of the tribal harvest festivals come Earth season. These things are nearly always dominated by the Uroxi clan, (look at all the fighting, and possibly something like the intelligence contest from the Garhound Contest) and for the PCs to win would get them kudos from all those who are miffed with the Bullers.

Then I thought of this scenario, but I'm not sure it fits in with Sartar / Orlanthi culture as the powers that be see it...... Lets pretend that the Peace Clan of the tribe is totally made up of women. Men may come and marry a woman from the clan, and may even stay, but they are nearly always underhusbands. Male children are from the bloodline of their fathers, females stay in the Peace Clan. Each year the clan holds a harvest contest to which all the other clans are invited to send young men along to compete ( a way of finding potential husbands, probably).

Is this sort of arrangement at all likely? I guess that it makes the matriarchal peace clan, in this case, part of the Earth Tribe living within a Storm Tribe - I can see them holding together the different clans, providing some sort of lynchpin for the Kheldon as a whole. The chief of the peace clan could also be the Ernaldan High Priestess of the tribe, or failing that, at least occupying the place of Ernalda on the tribal council.

As far as clan defence goes I guess that's a good reason for the underhusbands sticking around, and there are probably a crop of Babeester Gor cultists hanging about too. The thing that bothers me about it is - what sort of Orlanthi man would agree to being an underhusband? How tenable is the system if men aren't assured of passing down property to their sons, and everything remains in the hands of the women?

Any thoughts on any of this would be most welcome.

By the way, this game is also being run as a PBEM at http://www.macrayskeep.com The keep is a resource i found recently that facilitates PBEM games - don't know if you already know or are/aren't interested, but you may find it entertaining. My game is full now, but if you might be interested in the future then let me know...

Cheers, Guy


End of The Glorantha Digest V6 #473


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